Distribution and stand characteristics of relict populations of Mexican beech (Fagus grandifolia var. mexicana) Original Research Article

Fagus grandifolia var. mexicana (Mexican beech) is limited to about 10 populations (2–35 ha) in the Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico. The objectives were to assess the current status and distribution of beech by surveying five sites. Species richness varied between three to 27 tree species in the canopy, and from nine to 29 species in the understorey. Basal area of treesgreater-or-equal, slanted5 cm dbh varied between 27.87 and 70.98 m2 ha−1, and density from 370 to 1290 individual ha−1. Beech represented 22–99.6% of total basal area, and 6.8–83.3% of total density. Beech dominance varied from monodominant to codominance with Carpinus caroliniana, Quercus spp., Liquidambar styraciflua, Magnolia schiedeana, and Podocarpus spp. Beech total population size ranged from 180 to 6300 trees with a total of less than 1300 individuals in four sites. Anthropogenic disturbance remains a major threat to these forests. It is uncertain whether Mexican beech will be able to survive without conservation efforts.